Dr Daly is remembered as the young priest waving a white handkerchief in an iconic photograph from Bloody Sunday.

"Seamus had a very full life. He was a very generous and gentle person and a wonderful poet. He has left a huge legacy behind him," Dr Daly said.

"He has left so much for us all to treasure and enjoy. His legacy will live on for centuries."

Heaney was a classmate of Dr Daly's brother in St Columb's College, Londonderry.

"He wore his huge wisdom very lightly and he gave so generously of his time. He was kind and he had a very gentle wit," he said.

'Global significance'

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Irish President Michael D Higgins called the death of Heaney an 'enormous loss'.

Former SDLP leader John Hume, who was a close friend of Mr Heaney, said: "His poetry expressed a special love of people, place and diversity of life.

"That profound regard for humanity has made his poetry a special channel for repudiating violence, injustice and prejudice, and urging us all to the better side of our human nature."

Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said: "Seamus was undoubtedly one of the greatest literary voices the island of Ireland has ever produced and a great ambassador for Northern Ireland.

"It is some consolation that his spirit will live on through his legacy of work and that future generations will continue to be inspired by his distinctive poetic voice."

Irish President Michael D Higgins said: "Generations of Irish people will have been familiar with Seamus' poems.

"Scholars all over the world will have gained from the depth of the critical essays, and so many rights organisations will want to thank him for all the solidarity he gave to the struggles within the republic of conscience."

Fellow Northern Ireland poet Michael Longley said: "I feel like I've lost a brother and there are tens of thousands of people today who will be feeling personally bereaved because he had a great presence.

"Just as his presence filled a room, his marvellous poems filled the hearts of generations of readers."

"We all remember how President Bill Clinton chose Heaney's great phrase about when 'hope and history rhyme' from Heaney's play Cure at Troy in his speech in Londonderry, and went on to use it for the title of his book detailing his vision of the USA in the 21st Century."

Irish Arts Minister Ireland's Jimmy Deenihan said: "He was just a very humble, modest man. He was very accessible.

"Anywhere I have ever travelled in the world and you mention poetry and literature and the name of Seamus Heaney comes up immediately."

Damien Smith, head of literature and drama at the Northern Ireland Arts Council said: "Those closest to him also include vast numbers of people from right across the globe who read his poetry from his first book when it appeared in the mid-60s.

"He will be remembered in artistic terms as among the very great poets."

Northern Ireland novelist Glen Paterson said: "He was somebody I was introduced to as a poet when I was still at school - I went to see him read when I was still at school.

"Over the years, as I began to write myself, I met him and he was always very generous to younger writers."

BBC links

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